Today In Sports History

FILE - In this Oct. 1, 1951 file photo, Brooklyn Dodgers' left fielder Andy Pafko is greeted by teammate Gil Hodges (14) and a Dodgers' batboy as he scores on his home run in the second inning of the opening game of the National League playoff series against the New York Giants at Ebbets Field in New York. Pafko, a four-time All-Star who played on the last Chicago Cubs team to reach the World Series, has died at age 92. Pafko died Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2013 of apparent natural causes, according to Kraig Pike, the director of the Pike Funeral Home in Bridgman, Mich. Pafko also played for the Brooklyn Dodgers and the Milwaukee Braves, and played in four World Series during 17 years in the major leagues. (AP Photo/File)

1909 — The Pittsburgh Pirates won the World Series as rookie Babe Adams registered his third victory by beating the Detroit Tigers 8-0 in the seventh game.

1912 — Fred Snodgrass dropped a fly ball in the 10th inning that helped the Boston Red Sox score two runs and take the World Series from the New York Giants. 1932 — After a 0-0 tie earlier in the season, the Green Bay Packers beat the Chicago Bears 2-0.

1962 — With the tying and winning runs in scoring position, San Francisco’s Willie McCovey hit a hard line drive at second baseman Bobby Richardson for the final out and the New York Yankees won 1-0 in Game 7 for their 20th World Series title.

1964 — Babe Parilli of the Boston Patriots passes for 422 yards and four touchdowns in a 43-43 tie with the Oakland Raiders.

1968 — Americans Tommie Smith and John Carlos give black power salutes during the medal ceremonies of the 200-meter race and are later banned for life from all Olympic competition by the IOC.

1969 — The New York Mets won their fourth straight game from the Baltimore Orioles with a 5-3 triumph behind Jerry Koosman and took the World Series in five games.

1971 — Norm Ullman of the Toronto Maple Leafs records his 1,000th point in a 5-3 loss to the New York Rangers.

1975 — Tony Perez broke an 0-for-15 slump with two home runs to lead the Cincinnati Reds to a 6-2 victory over the Boston Red Sox in Game 5 of the World Series.

1976 — Vince Fusco kicks six field goals to give Duke an 18-18 tie with Clemson.

1976 — Tony Franklin of Texas A&M kicks two field goals over 60 yards for an NCAA record. The distances are 65 and 64 yards as the Aggies beat Baylor 24-0.

1977 — The Denver Broncos intercept seven passes off Ken Stabler of the Oakland Raiders in a 30-7 victory.

1977 — The Minnesota Vikings beat the Chicago Bears 16-10 in overtime with the only successful fake field goal in NFL overtime.

1983 — Eddie Murray hit two homers and Scott McGregor pitched a five-hitter to give Baltimore a 5-0 victory, their fourth straight, over the Philadelphia Phillies and the World Series in five games.

1985 — The Kansas City Royals captured the American League pennant with a 6-2 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 7, capping a comeback from a 3-1 deficit.

1985 — Jack Clark’s three-run homer with two out in the top of the ninth gave the St. Louis Cardinals a 7-5 come-from-behind victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers and the National League pennant.

1987 — Mike Tyson retains his undisputed heavyweight title with a seven-round knockout of Tyrell Biggs in Atlantic City, N.J.

1999 — Fourth-ranked Virginia Tech hangs a record-setting 62-0 loss on No. 16 Syracuse. It’s the worst shutout loss by a ranked team in the history of The Associated Press poll.

1999 — Pedro Martinez dominated for seven shutout innings while the Red Sox roughed up Roger Clemens in sending the New York Yankees to their most lopsided loss in postseason history, 13-1 in Game 3 of the AL championship series.

2000 — Mike Hampton pitched a three-hitter and the New York Mets beat the St. Louis Cardinals 7-0 to win the NL championship series 4-1. The Mets joined the 1997 Florida Marlins as the only wild-card teams to make the World Series.

2001 — In a matchup of pitchers who have combined for seven Cy Young Awards and 457 victories, Randy Johnson threw a three-hit masterpiece as Arizona beat Greg Maddux and the Braves 2-0 in Game 1 of the NL championship series.

2003 — Aaron Boone hits a pennant-winning homer leading in the bottom of the 11th in New York’s 6-5 win over Boston in Game 7 of the ALCS.

2004 — Mount Union beats Marietta 57-0 for its 100th consecutive regular-season victory. The Purple Raiders’ last regular-season loss was on Oct. 15, 1994, at home against Baldwin-Wallace.

2005 — San Diego’s LaDainian Tomlinson runs for a touchdown, passes for one and catches a TD pass as San Diego beats Oakland 27-14. He ties an NFL record by scoring a touchdown in his 18th game and extends his record for most consecutive games with a rushing TD, also 18.

2005 — The Chicago White Sox, behind Jose Contreras’ five-hitter, beat the Los Angeles Angels 6-3 to win the ALCS in five games, their first pennant since 1959.

2008 — The Boston Red Sox pulled off the major leagues’ biggest postseason comeback in 79 years, beating the Tampa Bay Rays 8-7 on J.D. Drew’s two-out single in the ninth to stave off elimination in the AL championship series. Boston trailed 7-0 with two outs in the seventh, then rallied when David Ortiz’s three-run homer followed Dustin Pedroia’s RBI single. Drew hit a two-run homer in the eighth and Coco Crisp tied it with a two-out RBI single.

2011 — Danell Leyva becomes the first American male gymnast to win a gold medal at the World Championships since 2003. Leyva wins the parallel bars title to become the first gold medalist for the U.S. since Paul Hamm claimed the floor exercise and all-around titles in 2003.

2011 — David Freese hit a three-run homer in the first and manager Tony La Russa turned again to his brilliant bullpen for seven sturdy innings as St. Louis captured its 18th pennant with a 12-6 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers. For the series, St. Louis relievers finished 3-0 with a 1.88 ERA over 28 2-3 innings

2011 — Dan Wheldon, 33, dies in a fiery 15-car wreck at Las Vegas Motor Speedway when his car flew over another on Lap 13 and smashed into the wall just outside turn 2..